Africa-Press – South-Africa. This is one of the most forgotten places,” says resident Thozama Nyathela of the GPO informal settlement in Dutywa, rural Eastern Cape.
GPO has been around for 25 years yet lacks basic services, GroundUp reports.
It is home to about 300 households, up to 20 families share one self-dug pit toilet, while many people relieve themselves in the bush. Residents use illegal connections for electricity.
There is one water tank. When it runs out, people have to ask for water from the nearest houses.
The only advantage to staying in GPO is its proximity to the town’s business centre and a school.
Mbashe Local Municipality spokesperson Nomakhulu Dingane said the municipality was planning to relocate GPO residents to an area called Zone 14, 2km away.
She added a contractor was on the site and had drawn up a layout plan, but Dingane could give no timelines.
According to her, residents have, to date for various reasons, refused offers to relocate.
Community leaders did not want to speak to us, saying they fear the municipality would ignore the settlement.
But residents we spoke to say it was not the case that they refused relocation, and they have been begging the municipality to relocate them for more than a decade.
Then around the time of the 2014 general election “they came back to tell us that they had found land, but nothing happened”, she said.
Resident Nyathela said they voted for the ANC “because our fear was that if we choose a different political party the relocation will be delayed, not knowing that we were only being fed empty promises”.
Another resident, Bhekumuzi Fikani, said numerous meetings were called with the municipality, and promises were made, but nothing was implemented.
“This thing about relocation is not new. There was a time when we were told that we will be moved in three years. That three years have passed.”
Another ward councillor was elected and continued with the same empty promises.
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